1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to carrying devices and, more specifically, to a strap for facilitating carrying shopping bags by hand or on a shoulder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paper bags commonly used in food shops and supermarkets have been supplanted in most of these establishments with plastic bags provided with opposing openings which form hand gripping portions or handles. However, while almost universally used, such plastic bags tend to have substantially smaller capacity than the paper variety and any significant purchase invariably results in multiple such bags being packed. Also, when heavy items, such as cans or bottles, are packed the handles gather and stretch to form relatively thin bands which apply substantial forces concentrated along narrow areas or regions of the hand, which can be painful when the bags are carried over for any period of time or distance.
While shoulder straps have been used to carry numerous items, such as cameras, pocketbooks, luggage and the like, shoulder straps have not been used to carry disposable plastic bags of the type used by supermarkets to package food products.